Sarfraz Ahmed set to fly back home

Pakistan vice-captain and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed is likely to return home after his mother was admitted to the Intense Care Unit (ICU) in Karachi, the team manager told ESPNcricinfo.

Sarfraz was rested from the Pakistanis' warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI on Tuesday in Brisbane. Mohammad Rizwan, the other wicketkeeper on tour, kept wickets and scored a run-a-ball 22 not out in the visitors' 196-run win after scoring 334 for 7. While the PCB is yet to name Sarfraz's replacement, Kamran Akmal could be in line for a recall after he scored 1035 runs at an average of 79.61 in this season's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Incidentally, fast bowler Mohammad Irfan left the ODI squad on Monday following the death of his mother and Junaid Khan was named replacement.